These things can certainly be made healthier without sacrificing flavor!

Doritos- try SALSA and/or cheese flavored Sunchips, made from Whole Grains.

Pizza can be made healthier by using unbleached or whole wheat flour for the dough, then covering it with low sodum sauce & part-skim cheese. Add peppers, onions, mushrooms, olives, and ONE meat topping. Voila! Healthier! If it’s not “greasy” enough, add some olive oil to the sauce & the dough.

Make burgers with 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 ground turkey, add a little bit of olive oil, some chopped onion, and some Mc Cormick “HotShot” (ground red & black pepper blend) while forming patty because turkey can be dry. Serve it on a toasted Whole Wheat kaiser roll with choice of lettuce, ketchup, mustard, onions, tomato and a pickle. Add a side of wholegrain Sunchips (it sounds like he’d like the SALSA flavor, as they taste a bit like Doritos), or make “Steak Fries” (the thick ones) in your oven by cutting potatoes in quarters the long way, spraying with olive oil cooking spray sprinkling with more HotShot or plain salt & pepper (not TOO much salt). Cook the at 425degrees until they look crispy.

Healthy Choice and Hillshire Farm make some pre-packaged coldcuts that are relatively low in salt & fat (they have something like 60 calories for 6 slices). Make him a sandwich on a whole wheat sub/hoagie roll and add choice of lettuce, tomato, onions, hot peppers, olive oil & vinegar. I’ve even thrown shredded raw spinach on my honey’s sandwich mixed with the lettuce (without telling him first) and he was inpressed by how nice & spicy it was! When RAW, it has a radish-like kick to it (does your honey like horse radish)? He probably just hates spinach because he’s only had the CANNED/COOKED stuff that is SLIMY & GROSS!

He likes broccoli, and didn’t mention hating carrots or raw bell peppers (they come in other colors besides green). Maybe he’d enjoy some of these cut into sticks and dipped in a lowfat sour cream dip (sour cream & chives or onion, for example)? If he likes spicy stuff, add some red pepper to the dip.

Pretzels are FINE! “‘Nough Said” about those!

Sodium can be reduced by replacing your regular table salt with SEA SALT.

As far as the tacos & the casseroles, try the ground beef & ground turkey blend mentioned above and don’t worry too much about the chicken- just use more of the WHITE meat when you make it for him. Any of the creamy parts can be made using lowfat sour cream. Try to “mix it up” a bit by using rice or potatoes in stead of pasta once in a while.

Ice Cream is OK in moderation, so MEASURE ONE NICE SCOOP FULL & add some fruits he CAN pronounce (like Strawberries & Bananas). Top with lowfat store brand topping (like Cool Whip) and a cherry. If you think he can handle it, snaek him one of the new “double churned” ice creams. They have fewer calories per serving & are creamier than the diet stuff.

Sometimes hearing the same message from someone else makes a big difference. At least, that works for my teens! Good luck.

Boy howdy! That nutritionist has his/her work cut out for him/her — and so do you.

But then there’s my approach. I don’t recommend it for everyone but when BigBob gives me grief, I just remind him: “You’re insured.” He still won’t go to the gym with me, about which I remind him that his life insurance will pay to redecorate my house. He doesn’t budge. At some point, you have to decide that there is only so much you can do.

Hopefully, the nutritionist will help you have better success than I.

Thanks for contributing this post to this week’s edition of the Carnival of Family Life, hosted at Confessions of a Novice. The Carnival will be live on Monday, January 28, 2008, so be sure to stop by and check out all of this week’s excellent submissions!